At the 1945 Japanese surrender ceremony, which Allied general accepted Japan’s surrender?

At the 1945 Japanese surrender ceremony, General Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan’s surrender. He did so as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, the position responsible for directing the Allied occupation and implementing the surrender terms.

MacArthur opened the ceremony on USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay at about 9:02 a.m. on September 2, 1945. He delivered brief remarks expressing hope that the ceremony would lead to a better world, then signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Allied Powers.

MacArthur had commanded Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific Area during the war. After Japan’s surrender, he became the central Allied authority in occupied Japan. He supervised demilitarization, political reforms, and the establishment of the occupation administration from his headquarters in Tokyo.

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed immediately after MacArthur as the United States representative. Nimitz was therefore an important signatory, but he did not accept the surrender first or sign in the role of Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.